Turning Points
by musicaltheatregeek7
Summary: Eponine is trying to escape her past, filled with crime, abuse, and lack of care. After running to Gavroche's "home" for help after recieving a beating from her father, Gavroche takes her to the Les Amis de l'ABC. There, she finds not only friends, but maybe someone more. Enjonine Trigger Warning: Abuse
1. Prologue

When I was a little girl, my life was perfect. I had everything I needed. I got everything I wanted; my parents loved me. In their eyes, I was the center of their lives. Along with that, I never went hungry, which was a massive privilege back in the day. Everything changed the day Cosette, the Lark and servant, was taken away.

It was a perfectly normal day. The sky was a clear blue, there were a few puffy, white clouds, and people went about their normal business. Merchants were yelling their offers, small children my age were playing to their heart's content, and beggars were begging. I walked through the town up to my parent's inn. Even from outside the doorway, I could see the interior of the inn. It was loud, colourful, busy, and smelled of smoke and alcohol. People were drunk and stumbling, some were loud and yelling, and others were singing for no reason.

As I walked in, Mother came up to greet me."Eponine! Eponine, you're such a good girl with such a cute new blue cap. You have great social graces, unlike other little girls," Mother praised.

I glanced to the side and saw Cosette looking at me from the other room. She was dressed in raggedy clothes with tangled blonde hair. From my point of view, Cosette was an absolute disgrace. Mother then walked up to Cosette with those brown eyes that were just sweet and caring, suddenly filled with the red colour of fury. When Cosette saw Mother advancing on her, Cosette began to cower backwards.

As Mother got close enough, she began to yell at Cosette to fetch some water from the well in the wood. Cosette then ran off towards the woods with the bucket and out of my sight.

Sometimes, I pitied Cosette, though my parents told me not to. They said she was the daughter of a lowly and disgusting prostitute and didn't deserve all the good I got. I believed every word my parents told me, so I acted how they wanted me to.

Later that night, when I was supposed to be in bed, I heard movement in the inn. As any curious little girl would do, I got out of bed and snuck out to see what the commotion was about. The cause of the movement was a man coming to the inn with Cosette on his hip.

From listening intently, I learned that the man's name was Monsieur Madeleine. Father came up to Monsieur and welcomed him while Mother tried to pickpocket Monsieur Madeleine. Monsieur Madeleine spoke of taking Cosette away.

As glad as I was to hear that Cosette might be leaving I could not help but will Monsieur Madeleine to leave. Cosette was the servant, and she will stay the servant. Father seemed to have the same idea, he kept trying to coax Cosette into his arms while Mother tried to steal Monsieur's wallet. Neither of the endeavors succeeded.

Almost in unison, both of my parents attained their steely, determined look and it burned brightly in both of them. The room suddenly became tense. Then as if to break the silence, Monsieur Madeleine, with a big booming voice, offered fifty thousand francs for Cosette.

My eyes widened in amazement.

Fifty thousand francs! That was so much money! Father smiled and took the money with a greedy hand and ushered Monsieur Madeleine and Cosette out of the inn. Once they left, I timidly stepped out of the darkness.

"Eponine!" Father called. "We're rich! We're the top of the class!"

I smiled greatly and ran to hug my father out of pure joy. My small arms circled my father's neck as he lifted me up.

"Our lives are going to be even better!" I cried.

I was so excited for our new, better lives ahead. I was absolutely wrong.

* * *

**Okayyyyy! So this was the prologue for the story! Yay! Prologue done eleven more chapters to go! Future SHOULD be longer, at least I hope they are. This story is also on my wattpad account under the same user: musicaltheatregeek7. ([small spoiler]I know Eponine is like, rude to Cosette, but they do indeed become friends later.) Then again, i'm not exactly reading over everything, as i wrote this whole thing in about a month(i wrote this for a writing assignment) so i do think it is rushed. I at least want to get ONE review to post the second chapter. I'll post the next chapter probably tomorrow.**

**So how'd i do? good, bad, want to gourge your eyes out? any ideas, ways to make it better? Im open to ideas, but CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY PLEASE! NO BASHING! THANK YOU! 3**

_***~*~Alice Bean**_


	2. The Beginning

Nine years after Cosette left, my life went downhill fairly fast. Father spent too much of the money and caused our inn to go bankrupt. When that happened, Mother and Father changed; they were no longer the caring parents they used to be.

Now, they were cruel and cared only about money and quickly became con-artists. Father was the worst. He would run about the town cheating people off of their money, pick-pocketing, and even threatening people to get money. On top of that, he was even in charge of some prostitutes in the docks. They worked for him, so he would get half the money they earned.

I was lucky enough to not be forced to work there. Instead, I had to help my father and his gang "work" in the town. Their version of work, though, was robbing. It was my job to be the watch dog; I hated it with a passion. Besides that, I had to somehow get ten francs a day. If I didn't, I was to be punished. Punishment was horrible. Sometimes, I wouldn't be allowed to eat for three days. Other times, I'd be beaten, either by my own father, or by his little follower, Montparnasse.

Montparnasse was a young man my age who was very handsome. He had brown hair and dressed nicely with top hats and dark coloured waistcoats. From the outside, Montparnasse seemed to be one of bourgeois. When in public, he was a charming man, but when he was with my father, the gang, or with me, he turned into a wretched one. He always carried knife in his waistcoat for emergencies, such as an impromptu robbery. It has always been a wonder why we used to be friends. Montparnasse was kind at one point, but that all changed when he joined Father's gang, now he's a horrible person.

One morning was not beginning to be a good day. I was starving from my current punishment of no food for two days due to me not stealing enough money and I was tired and moody, so I went out to find my younger brother Gavroche.

Gavroche was a small boy of only thirteen years of age. He had a full head of blond hair and was almost always moving. Gavroche was open and friendly, but was always wary of other people, like me, minus the open part. He always stayed on his toes and was ready to move at a moment's notice.

Gavroche was an expert at pick-pocketing, which in his case, was actually very good. He ran away from the house back when he was only four years old. Unlike myself, Gavroche was able to gather the courage to leave the abusive household. Since that day, he has been able to live on the streets, despite being under-fed.

I ventured out into the streets of Paris, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of Gavroche. A blond head bopping around, the angry yell of a merchant, anything. It wasn't until ten minutes later that I saw a giant crowd. Being the curious girl I am, I followed it. As I got nearer, I could hear the jeers and yells from further down.

It appeared to be a revolutionary meeting. People were singing their revolutionary songs, and through all of the various pitches, I could pick out one tiny voice. It was the voice of my little brother. Of course he would be taking part in this. I followed Gavroche's small voice and looked for his blond head.

Suddenly, his voice rang out above all the others. "This is the land that fought for liberty! Now when we fight, we fight for bread! Take your place, take your chance. Vive la France, vive la France!" Gavroche's voice became a low shout as the other revolutionaries began to yell along with him.

Luckily, I was able to spot Gavroche as he finished his line. "Gavroche! Gavroche!" I called out. I was hoping to get his attention, but to no avail. Gavroche was then lifted on a student's back.

Courfeyrac was his name, I believe. Courfeyrac was a tall, dashing revolutionary student who had a way with the bourgeoisie girls. I honestly didn't understand why the girls all flocked to him. Yet behind Courfeyrac's flirty ways, he had a kind and honest heart, along with a soft spot for Gavroche.

I remember Gavroche telling me about these revolutionary students. He said that Courfeyrac found him outside the Café Musain in the cold rain and took him in. From there, Gavroche became good friends with the students. He even introduced me to one other student besides Courfeyrac, Maris Pontmercy. Marius was a wonderful fellow. He was kind to me when no one else was He accepted me for who I was, despite being a Thenardier. Marius was my only best friend.

Following Courfeyrac with Gavroche on his back, I ended up in front of General Lamarque's house, the source of all the shouting. There were students, beggars, and revolutionaries surrounding the steps of the building where two students were proclaiming their views. The two students looked very familiar, even from a distance. I pushed my way further into the crowd to see who they were. As I got closer, I was able to make out the faces. It was Enjolras and Marius! My eyes widened in awe as I drew in closer to them. Both had a distinct fierceness in their eyes.

I had never met Enjolras personally, but I knew his face and I had heard of his brave actions. Enjolras was called a marble statue, and in the crowd, I realized why. His back was tall and straight, despite his movement to and fro on the staircase. Enjolras grew stronger with every word he said. He spoke his opinions as though they were fact and looked into as many eyes as possible, including my own.

When I made eye contact with Enjolras, he didn't waver like most did. Instead, he looked at me with such determination, fierceness, and pride that I broke eye contact. It was like he was looking straight into my soul and daring me to disagree with him.

Marius, on the other hand, was slightly more casual than Enjolras. Marius was yelling all the same, but had more movement. His arms moved with vigor and he shook his head, making his dark brown hair messier, with every other sentence.

I was completely smitten with Marius. When our eyes locked briefly, I felt heat rising to my cheeks when he recognized me and smiled slightly before returning to his speech. I took this chance to actually focus on what Enjolras and Marius were saying.

"Where are the leaders of this land?" Marius questioned. "Where are the swells who run this show?"

"There's only one man, General Lamarque, who speaks for the people here below!" Enjolras replied with pride.

I could practically see the fire of passion in these two students' eyes as the spoke. It was amazing to see how much faith they put into their cause, how much they truly believed in it. While Enjolras and Marius spoke, I saw Courfeyrac, no longer with Gavroche on his back, run up and whisper something to Enjolras. Enjolras nodded curtly before turning back to the crowd and regaining his marble-like composure.

"Lamarque is ill and will soon be gone!" Enjolras shouted.

My own eyes widened in shock. Lamarque is ill? How could this be? Now I was deeply interested in what Enjolras and Marius were shouting about.

"With so much anger in the land, how much longer until that day?" Marius yelled.

With booming voices surrounding me, all of the revolutionary students proclaimed in unison, "Before the barricades arise!" The shout echoed off of every building and seemed to pierce the air. A chill ran through me. Were these young men really willing to risk their lives? Oh, how I feared for them.

The next thing I knew, there were people everywhere shouting their agreement. Despite the fact I knew only one student personally, I knew nothing about this cause they were fighting for. All I knew was they truly believed in what they were fighting for.

Out of nowhere, the sound of hooves pounding the pavement came from the distance. A thundering vibration coursed through the street. Almost instantly, everyone froze and looked up, only to see the National Guard heading this way. Everyone began to panic and disperse.

Students on the other hand, stood their ground and began to chant together, including Gavroche, "Vive la France! Vive la France!" I had no idea what to do, but stay where Gavroche and Marius were, so I joined them in their chanting.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Marius and Enjolras jump off the staircase and disappear into the crowd. Despite the fact they were gone from my view, I could still hear their voices loud above the crowd.

The National Guardsmen raced towards the crowd on their massive steeds. They were high, mighty, and powerful compared to us enthusiastic protesters on the ground. Slowly, everyone began to back up, but still protesting loudly. "Vive la France!" they shouted. "Vive la France!"

Still, the Guardsmen pushed us backwards, yet we still fought back. Suddenly, a black shiny carriage pulled up and an old man with white curly hair and a wrinkly face stepped out. Just as he stepped out, I saw Marius run him.

"Marius!" the old man shouted. He looked vivid and angry.

Marius stopped and turned to face the old man. He looked confused.

"Grandfather?" Marius asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was passing through when I saw you amongst the mob. Shame on you, Marius! Do you not know how much dishonour and shame you bring upon this family? It's disgraceful!" Marius's grandfather reprimanded. With one last look of loathing at Marius, the man turned on his heel. Leaving Marius was in shock.

"Marius!" a voice called. I turned around to see it was Enjolras, looking concerned.

Marius broke out of his stunned state and became angry.

"Vive la France! Vive la Lamarque!" he shouted back. He turned and began to walk away from the crowd and into the streets of Paris. As he left my view, I chose to follow him.

* * *

**Aaaaannnnddd scene! I'm still trying to get used to this kind of format, and I'm trying to figure out how to space everything. Since i copied and pasted from the Word document, everything looked so clumped together and...ugh. I know for a fact there's going to be a follow up story after this one is all posted, i just need to finish it. I'm thinking maybe after this, you guys could give me ideas for the next one? Or is there any other kind of E/E story you want me to write? Maybe an AU? I just need a basis and i can go off of that. Review pleaseeee!**

***~*~Alice Bean**


	3. A Mistake

Marius was already a good distance away from me, so I broke out into a run. The wind rushed past me and blew my dark brown hair around, causing it to get in my face. I kept swiping the hair out of my face, but it continued to get in the way. Even though I was only clad in a ragged brown, dark, murky green, and grey dress, I didn't feel too cold. My bare feet pounded the rocky pavement and my chest began to burn.

"Marius! Monsieur Marius!" I called. Luckily enough, Marius stopped, turned and waited for me. He smiled at me and chuckled.

"Eponine, how often must I tell you? You don't have to call me monsieur, we're friends," Marius remarked.

I blushed slightly. "Right, sorry, Marius. Force of habit, I reckon."

"There's no need to be sorry, 'Ponine. It was just a reminder."

Marius's eyes wandered around then suddenly settled on something across the way. I followed his eyes then realized something. It was not something he was looking at, but rather someone. It was a girl who looked almost exactly my age. She was blonde with blue eyes and had a beautiful dress and hat. It made me feel awful.

I focused more on the girl and gasped silently. She looked unsettlingly blue eyes and blonde hair gave me a jolt. I've seen those eyes before in the past and that hair, just dirtier.

Those eyes have looked at me before, from behind a corner and behind a door. Somewhere in the past, I've seen this girl before.

I racked my brain and brought out all my good memories from childhood. Father lifting me up, Mother hugging me, playing around the town, Cosette doing all the work… A chill ran through me. It was Cosette! The girl that Marius was goggling at was Cosette! No, that couldn't be Cosette, it was just impossible.

Cosette locked eyes with Marius, smiled, then walked away. I looked to Marius to see his reaction. His smile was wide and went across his freckled face, and his brown eyes danced with happiness.

He turned to me. "Eponine, is there any way you know that girl?" he asked.

My heart fell and I hoped Marius couldn't tell.

"It was just some bourgeois girl. That's all she was," I replied, trying to keep the resentment out of my voice.

"Eponine, will you please find her? I believe I'm in love!"

It took all of my willpower to not have my face drop. Instead, I smiled and put on my brave face. "Of course, Marius. Anything for you."

"Oh, thank you, 'Ponine! Thank you so much! Though be careful, and do not let your father find out. Good luck, 'Ponine!" Marius said. After that, he ran off.

Once Marius turned the corner, my smile slid off my face and was replaced with a deep frown. How, oh, how could he possibly be in love? All he did was lock eyes with her. Her, Cosette, the servant from my past.

Of course, it had to be Cosette. Why couldn't it have been a nameless face, or better, me? Marius and I have known each other for years. We've shared so much! I was good for Marius, and he was good for me.

A cold wind brushed me as I began walking. I looked up and saw the light from the sun was beginning to turn into a dark, deep blue. The sign of night coming. Slowly, I resumed walking.

Paris was a silent, sleepy little town by night, though on this specific night, it crawled of horridness. Faces peered out of windows and alleyways, some glaring, others showing pity.

Pity, what a stupid excuse of a feeling. If there's one thing I learned from living in the slums, it's that pity made you weak. If I ever got pity, I'd get away from it as fast as possible. If others saw I received pity, I'd be targeted and mugged. Thankfully, being a Thenardier, I knew how to make a quick getaway.

I turned onto the street I memorized by heart, and headed towards the apartment. Opening the door, I stepped inside.

"Eponine!" a voice called. It was Father.

"Good Lord, no," I mumbled. I forgot to get the money! I was so caught up with the earlier events that I didn't steal anything.

"Eponine! Get over here and turn in the money!" Father called. He sounded angry; it was never good if he was angry.

"Yes, 'Ponine! Get here now! We're losing patience!" a new voice shouted. I gulped. Montparnasse was here, too. If Montparnasse was here, I truly was in trouble.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I put on a scowl and quickly thought of lies for when and if I was asked why I had almost no money.

I walked into the kitchen to see Father and Montparnasse standing side by side, not looking happy.

"Well, 'Ponine?" Father sneered, "hand over the money."

I took out two francs I found on the ground before I came across the speech at General Lamarque's house and handed it to Father. Montparnasse instead grabbed the money and seethed at me.

"Two francs? All you got was two francs?" Montparnasse shouted. "You stupid, worthless girl!"

I was scared stiff and my scowl was wiped off my face, but I held my ground. Early on, I learned that sometimes, if I stayed quiet, they wouldn't hurt me. This time wasn't one of those.

"You insolent, good-for-nothing girl!" Father screamed. "You should be glad I haven't sent you to the docks yet!"

He slapped me hard across the face. I staggered backwards and fell. Father towered over me and glared. "You can take care of her," Father said as he turned to Montparnasse.

"With pleasure," Montparnasse growled.

"Please," I begged, "please, no."

In return, Montparnasse kicked me in the stomach. I saw Father walk out of the room. Again, Montparnasse kicked me. My stomach and rib cage began to burn with pain. Montparnasse grabbed me by the arm and yanked me up. Still holding me, he slapped me twice; each stung heavily. I raised my head slowly.

Even though immense pain coursed through my body, my anger and survival instincts took over and caused me to make a grave mistake. I spat in Montparnasse's face. I realized my mistake too soon.

"No, no ,no!" I cried.

Montparnasse wiped his face with his arm then threw me roughly on the ground. He glared at me with a loathing passion as I cowered.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now. You'll regret every little thing you did today," Montparnasse growled.

"Montparnasse, please!" I cried.

Montparnasse ignored me and crossed the kitchen to the next room. I knew what was coming up, and it scared me.

Montparnasse walked back into the kitchen with his hands behind his back. He smiled cruelly at me with a harsh fire in his eyes. Slowly, Montparnasse came towards me while revealing what he was holding.

It was my father's cane. Montparnasse has only beat me with the cane twice before. Once he reached me, he rose the cane over his head. In a swift movement, it came down on me. I tried my best to shield myself, but I knew it was no use. Again and again, the cane struck my body, but rarely hit my head.

I could feel each new bruise and cut Montparnasse gave me. It was agonizing. Slowly, he began to stop. When he finally did, he just left the room. I felt so sore, I could barely move. When I thought I would pass out, someone came into the kitchen.

"Eponine!" the voice cried. It was Mother.

I mumbled something in return.

"You'd better get out of the house before your father wakes up and stay out for while," she said.

Gathering up all the strength I had left, I crawled towards the door. Breathing hard, I stood up and opened it. Looking back at Mother, her face was impassive, but her eyes were those of a concerned mother. She may not be the best mother, but she did care for me. Turning back to the open door, I limped out into the breezy summer night of Paris.

* * *

**Wooo! Chapter 2 is done! Thanks for the reviews so far! I really enjoyed writing this last year and it's great to revisit it! Thanks again for reading and reviews! Chapter 3 maybe in a day or two?**

***~*~Alice Bean**


	4. A Safe Haven For Now

Leaning on the outside wall of the apartment, I tried to decide where to take refuge. My first thought was an abandoned alleyway, but I couldn't risk getting attacked. Marius's apartment was out of the question; it was much too late in the night to bother him. Eventually, I decided to go to Gavroche's elephant statue. Gritting my teeth, I set out.

Every step I took sucked out some sort strength and energy I had. With gasping, hoarse, short breaths, I kept limping on. Every corner I passed scared me, and every shadow was Montparnasse's or Father's. Just thinking about them made me scared all over again and caused me to walk as fast as I could. Within five minutes, I was at the elephant statue.

From the outside, the elephant statue looked completely solid, but I knew better. Truly, the statue was hollowed out with my brother living inside it. The statue stood two stories high and was a dusty grey with brown here and there. If I looked close enough, I could see the ropes and ladders Gavroche set up. I had half a mind to try to climb it, but I knew better than to over extend myself. Instead, I hit the elephant as hard as I could and yelled as loud as possible, which wasn't very loud. "Gavroche! Gavroche! It's me, your sister, Eponine!"

Pressing my ear to the cold marble of the elephant, I heard rustling. I looked up to see Gavroche's blond head poking out with a surprised face.

"Oi! 'Ponine! What are you doin' here?" he shouted.

"I just need to stay here for a while. I'll tell you why if you let me in!" I replied.

"'Course, 'Ponine!" Gavroche smiled. He climbed down the elephant to get to me. "Gosh! What happened?"

"I said I'll tell you, but not here. Got it?" I asked.

Gavroche nodded.

"Good boy," I said. "How am I gonna get in? I can't climb."

"Just follow me, 'Ponine."

Gavroche took my hand and led me to the side of the elephant. Letting go of my hand, Gavroche went up to the elephant and pushed on it. Pushing a few more times, there was an opening appearing in the elephant's side. Gavroche turned to me. "You coming?" he asked.

Gavroche smiled at me, got on his knees, then began crawling into the statue. Carefully, I got down on my knees and began crawling. Crawling was a tedious task. I was still burning with pain, so I had to crawl very slowly. Finally, I was able to stand. I was standing in the inside of the elephant statue. Pushing myself up, I looked around. Gavroche had stocked up the place. There were ropes and ladders, but also some small trinkets from the streets. I saw two tri-colour rosettes on the ground along with a few bandages and small toys here and there. I held onto the wall as I made my way to Gavroche. He was just staring at me.

"Who did it this time, Father or Montparnasse?" Gavroche asked.

That was Gavroche, always getting straight to the point.

"Father slapped me, but Montparnasse beat me. Same as usual," I replied.

Gavroche walked close to me and studied my face and arms. "No, this is not the usual. You're way more bruised and bloody." His face suddenly went white. "He used the cane, didn't he?"

"Y-yes. But don't worry too much, Gavroche. They're just some cuts and bruises."

"No, they're not, 'Ponine. You're gonna be in trouble if you don't get treated soon. Tomorrow, we're going to see the students."

"Gavroche, no. I just need-"

"Eponine, we're going to see my friends. Please, for me?"

Gavroche looked at me with big eyes. I sighed.

"Fine."

"Thank you, 'Ponine! You can sleep on my bed." He pointed to a pile of rags and blankets I didn't notice before.

"No arguing, please, 'Ponine," he begged.

"Okay, Gavroche," I said as I gave in.

Gavroche helped me walk to the pile of rags and got me settles in. He kissed me on the cheek then laid a few feet away from me. "Night, 'Ponine," he called.

"G'night, Gavroche," I replied.

With that, I drifted off into the comforting darkness of sleep.

When I woke up, Gavroche was already up, pushing on the wall to open it up again. I sat up groggily and groaned. My stomach burned and my limbs screamed with pain when I moved.

"Ready, 'Ponine?" Gavroche asked as he looked over to me.

"Give me a second," I called back.

Mustering all my strength, I stood up, though dots danced in front of my face. I shut my eyes close and took a deep breath. Using the wall for support, I walked to the small opening.

"Let's go," Gavroche grinned.

Again, I was walking through the streets of Paris. This time though, in daylight with my brother. Gavroche held my hand and weaved us through the crowd. We kept a steady pace when we arrived at the café. The café was tall with shiny red letters that read CAFÉ MUSAIN. It was brown with a few people exiting. I stepped aside for them to pass. Gavroche tugged my hand and led me inside.

Inside the café, there wasn't a lot of people, but Gavroche led me further inside. In the main room, there was a group of young men. Only then did I realize that this was the group of students that Gavroche often talked about. This was the group that led the speech at General Lamarque's house the day before.

Gavroche let go of my hand and ran up to the leader, Enjolras. Leaning on the wall for support, I saw Gavroche talking animatedly to Enjolras. Gavroche pointed my way and Enjolras looked up. Enjolras stared right at me, and I hardened my gaze. His blue eyes seemed to analyze me. Gavroche then began to walk my way with Enjolras trailing close behind. When they came up to me, I tried to straighten myself as much as I could. I didn't want to look like I was in pain. Pain gives you pity, pity shows weakness.

"So you're Gavroche's sister. He never spoke of one until now," Enjolras observed. His curly blond hair got in his eyes and he brushed it away.

"Gavroche and I prefer to keep some things just between us," I retorted. I couldn't help keep the defensiveness out of my voice. Enjolras appeared to have noticed it too.

"I mean no offence, mademoiselle…"

"Eponine. There's no need to call me mademoiselle. I am no lady."

"As you wish, Eponine. My name is Enjolras, though it's possible you've heard of me before. Gavroche says you're injured. May I?"

I looked at Gavroche and he nodded at me.

"Fine," I grumbled. "Though I'd rather this be done in a close room."

"Of course, Eponine."

Enjolras led Gavroche and me through the throng of people and into a back room.

"Let's see them, then," Enjolras said.

I extended my arms and moved my face to the left and right to show him the open cuts and bruises. Only once did I look to Enjolras to see his reaction. His eyebrows were scrunched up in concentration as he examined me. He reached out to a deep cut on my arm. I recoiled at his touch and stepped back a few paces.

"Forgive me, Eponine, but I need to have a closer look at this wound."

Enjolras came up to me again and I offered my arm. He took it gingerly and ran his fingers over the cut slightly. It stung, but I showed no sign of pain. Quickly, he turned to Gavroche who was standing silently by the door.

"Gavroche," Enjolras began, "please fetch Joly and ask him to come to the back room. Quickly."

Gavroche nodded then ran out the door.

Enjolras turned to me. "I've seen your face before. You are friends with Marius, are you not?" he asked.

I looked blankly at him. "Yes, I am friends with Marius. Just friends," I confirmed. "That's all we'll ever be," I added quietly so only I could hear.

Again, Enjolras stared at me with those impassive blue eyes. He released my arm and a comfortable silence fell between us. A few minutes later, I hear two sets of footsteps come close to the door along with chattering voices. The door opened and into the room entered Gavroche with a man who looked slightly older than me. He had brown hair and brown eyes with a professional like vibe around him.

"Hello, Eponine. I'm Joly and I'm just going to examine the wounds," Joly said.

He came closer and asked me to sit in a chair I did not see before. I went to the chair and sat. Joly crouched down to my shortened height. I silently thanked him for telling me to sit. It felt so relieving.

Joly brought up his hand and held my chin gently. He moved my head this way and that, observing every cut and bruise. Joly let go of my chin and took hold of my right arm. With his other hand, he brushed his hand down my arm. Mumbling to himself, he dropped my arm and reached for my left arm, repeating the action he did with the former. Releasing my left arm he looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"Okay, Eponine, besides your arms and face, is there any other place you were injured?" Joly questioned.

Again, I looked to Gavroche and he mouthed yes to me.

"Yeah, my stomach and around my ribs," I offered.

Joly indicated he understood. "Do you have any extra clothing?"

I nodded then turned to my brother. "Can you sneak into the apartment and get my clothes?"

"'Course 'Ponine!" Gavroche grinned.

I knew he loved to sneak into the apartment. Something about giving him a rush and a chance to break something to get back at our parents. With one last grin, he ran out the door.

Groaning, I relaxed into the chair. I saw Joly stand up and talk to Enjolras, who was standing by the wall. They were talking in hushed voices, so I couldn't hear what they were saying. Both looked concerned again; they seemed to be in a serious discussion. Even though I strained my ears, I couldn't hear anything. I sat there, observing the room. There was one window, three chairs, and a table with an unlit candle on it.

I saw movement from the corner of my eye. I pivoted on the chair and saw Enjolras coming towards me. He locked eyes with me.

"Eponine, Joly and I would like to know what happened," he said.

I looked Enjolras straight in the eye with a glare. "That's for me to know, not you," I replied smoothly.

"Eponine, you need to tell us. We need to know who did this to you."

I was shocked. How did they know someone did this. Still, I kept my surprise hidden. "No one did this to me. I was simply caught in a ruckus."

"Eponine, please," Joly cut in. "I'm training to be a doctor. I know for a fact those wounds were inflicted by a person. Your body shows the signs of being beaten."

I focused on the both of them with a steady gaze. "Even if I did tell you, you couldn't help me. I can take care of myself. The only reason I'm letting you help me is because Gavroche begged me," I replied stubbornly.

Joly and Enjolras exchanged a silent agreement. I knew I had won this argument. They knew better than to argue with an injured girl, especially if that girl happened to be Gavroche's sister, me. I glanced at the two pointedly before staring blankly into space.

Ten minutes later, the door slammed open. Gavroche came in huffing and puffing with flushed cheeks. In his hands, he clutched a bundle of clothes.

"Got your clothes!" Gavroche beamed. He crossed over to an empty chair and dumped the clothes on the floor.

"Eponine, if you would please switch out clothes, we'll take a quick look at your stomach and rib area," Joly said.

Soon, Enjolras, Joly, and Gavroche were out of the room. I slowly got out of the chair and went to the pile of clothes on the ground. In the pile was my white shirt, brown, tattered skirt, and brown belt and hat. Slipping off my dark brown dress, I could really see how battered I was.

My stomach was black and blue with some stains of red. Scars riddled my body, memories imprinted on me of previous beatings. I looked at my arms. They too bored bruises, scars, cuts, and smudges of blood. I could only imagine what my face was like.

Moving gradually, I put on the shirt and slipped on the skirt. It felt nice to be in somewhat clean clothes. Once I was comfortable in the new clothing, I saw something peering out from under the hat. Lifting up the hat, I was surprised. Gavroche found my pair of boots! Smirking to myself, I put on the boots. Smoothing down my skirt, I couldn't help but feel at least a little bit cleaner than before. A few moments passed until a knock sounded on the door.

"'Ponine!" Gavroche's voice called. "You decent?"

"Yeah!" I shouted hoarsely.

The door opened and Gavroche, Joly, and Enjolras came in.

"We're going to have to switch rooms. So if you'll just follow us," Joly spoke.

Just as swiftly as they came in, they were out. I began to walk when a sudden jolt shot through my side. I cried out in pain, collapsed on the ground, and held my side. Enjolras turned around and was quickly by my side.

"Would you care for me to assist you?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," I managed through gritted teeth.

Despite my protests, Enjolras slipped his arm around my waist to give me support. Though my pride told me not to, I put my arm around Enjolras, accepted his help, and used him for support. With his aid, we were able to get back to the main room. When we got there, Gavroche and Joly were talking to five other students. I recognized one as Courfeyrac. One had black curly hair, one had blond hair, and three had brown hair. Enjolras and I crossed the room and went up to them. As we neared, Joly spun around and faced us.

"I was wondering what was taking you two so long. Did anything happen?" he asked.

I was about to respond when one of the students with brown hair focused on Enjolras and me. He had a smile on his face and scanned me up and down. Right away, I felt defensive, but I couldn't do anything because Enjolras was still supporting me.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" the man queried, "or is Enjolras truly having physical contact with this lovely mademoiselle?"

My eyes widened in bewilderment. I looked at Enjolras; his eyes were fixed on the man with annoyance.

"This young lady has simply been hurt and I'm simply assisting her in walking," Enjolras replied smoothly.

"Of course, Enjolras," began one of the blond students. He secured his blue eyes with mine. "We wouldn't expect anything else from you."

"Oi! 'Ponine!" Gavroche suddenly called out. "I forgot to introduce you to everyone!" He pointed to the man who teased Enjolras. "This is Grantaire."

Grantaire rose his hand in greeting and gave me another smile. Gavroche then pointed to the student who calmed Enjolras.

"This is Combeferre," Gavroche introduced.

"Hello, Gavroche just informed me about you," Combeferre stated. "Though I must say you do look familiar. Do you know Marius Pontmercy?"

"It actually happens that I do," I assured him.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you, Eponine," Combeferre closed.

Gavroche waved at me to get back my attention. "'Ponine!" he called.

"Yes?" I asked.

Gavroche pointed at the other brown-haired student. His eyes were a dark green.

"This student is Jehan. He likes poetry and stuff," Gavroche commented.

"Nice to meet you, mademoiselle," Jehan bowed slightly.

I giggled softly and spoke, "There's no need to call me mademoiselle, please, just Eponine."

"As you call for, Eponine," Jehan finished.

Gavroche tugged my hand and pointed at the other brown haired student. He too had brown eyes.

"This student is Feuilly. He makes fans and is from Poland," Gavroche described.

"Pleasure to meet you, monsieur Feuilly," I greeted.

"The pleasure is all mine, Eponine," Feuilly said. "Though if you wish not to be called mademoiselle, then you don't have to address us as monsieur."

"Last, but not least," Gavroche shouted, "is Courfeyrac."

I turned to Courfeyrac. His hair was black and curly and he also had brown eyes. He looked at me with interest, but was smart enough not to scan me up and down, unlike Grantaire.

"It's great to finally meet you, Courfeyrac. I hope you treat my brother well," I said.

"Likewise to you, Eponine. And I do treat your brother well," replied Courfeyrac.

I was about to continue talking when Enjolras interrupted me.

"Sorry to break up this meeting, but Joly needs to check your wounds and treat them," he reminded me.

"Oh, yes, of course, Enjolras," I apologized.

With Enjolras's help, I followed Joly into another room. This time Gavroche decided to stay back. In this room, there was a window, table, four chairs, and a bed. Entering the room, I released my grip from Enjolras, limped to the bed, and collapse.

"Okay, Eponine, if you could lie down, that would be good," Joly instructed.

Following Joly's instructions, I laid down on the bed. It was so comfortable. At the time, it had been so many years since I last slept in a real bed. Pulling up chairs, Enjolras and Joly sat by the bed.

"Eponine, now if you could show us the wounds on your stomach, we can examine them," Joly said.

Taking in what Joly said, I blushed a little bit. Gathering my courage, I pulled up my shirt only so they could see my stomach, nothing more. Joly peered at my stomach, observing each wound. His hand hovered over me, but never touched me. Joly moved his hand so it was at my side.

"Enjolras told me you were gripping you side when you fell. Was it this one?" he questioned.

I raised my head to see which side he was pointing at. I nodded my head. Joly push his hand against my side and I grimaced. Joly moved his hand slightly to the left and applied pressure again. That time I didn't flinch.

"Does that hurt?"" he asked.

"Not like before. It feels more like a bruise," I informed Joly.

Joly acknowledged it and moved on. "All you need now is to be bandaged up and bed rest," Joly told me. "I'll go get the bandages. Enjolras, you stay here and watch her." With that, Joly left the room.

Pulling my shirt back down, I turned my attention to Enjolras. "Why are you students helping me?"

Enjolras regarded me. He had a fiery yet sympathetic expression on his face. "Not only are you Gavroche's sister," he began, "but we, the student revolutionaries, strive for a better country. A country where everyone gets what the need. You were in need of medical attention, so we supplied it."

I gaped at Enjolras in awe. So this was what the students were fighting for. They were fighting for the poor. Enjolras didn't need to say they were fighting for the poor, I just figured it out through his answer. Once more, silence fell between us. A minute later, Joly came in with a cluster of bandages in his arms. Sitting back down and setting the pile down, he fixed his attention back to me.

"Eponine, you're going to have to sit up and raise your shirt again, sorry. Your stomach and the wounds on it needs to be wrapped. Some of your ribs are sprained," Joly explained.

Sighing, I sat up and raised my shirt the same height as before. Carefully, Joly began wrapping my stomach and lower rib cage with the bandages. When he was done, he worked on cleaning the other wounds and stitched up the deep cut on my arm. The stitching hurt, but Joly assured me I would be fine.

"I really must be going now," I said when Joly finished. "Thank you both so much for your help, but I really must begin to head out to my home."

Enjolras and Joly looked stunned.

"Eponine, you must rest and stay still. I'm sure your mother and father will understand," Joly reasoned.

"No, I must be on my way," I pushed.

As I attempted to leave, Enjolras and Joly each put a gentle yet stiff hand on my shoulders.

"Eponine, you will be staying here in this room and my friends and I will pay for you. I already talked to Gavroche and the owner. Gavroche agreed with me and the owner of the café is allowing you to remain here until further notice. Do you understand?" Enjolras asked.

I glared at both of them. "I am no charity case," I replied hotly.

"We're not treating you as a charity case, Eponine. We're treating you as a friend. Please just stay here," requested Joly.

"Fine," I grumbled. I glared at them more while a few choice swear words ran through my mind. Knowing that this wasn't the time to speak those words, I simply nodded my head stiffly.

"Good. I'll get your clothes from the other room and bring them in here. It's almost time for the meeting, if you would like to come into the main room and listen," Enjolras stated. Standing up, he strode out of the room.

As I began to get off the bed, I staggered a bit. This time, Joly put his arm around my waist and helped me walk. With his help, we met up with Enjolras in the main room. Enjolras handed me my clothes and told me the meeting was going to begin in under and hour and will be a few hours long. Nodding my head in showing I understood him, I took a seat at a table and waited for the meeting to begin.

* * *

**Woosh! I feel like this one is probably one of the longer chapters, though i could be wrong. *sigh* it's nice to be re-visiting my writing. Hope you all liked this chapter. I know for a fact this is where the story starts to pick up. On a down side, im still struggling to write the sequel. So...that one might be a while...sadly. Also, my time for writing has been low, but my minds been wreeling. Hope for the best!**


	5. The Meeting

Slowly but surely, young revolutionary students began to trickle into the café. I sat silently staring intently at the door, waiting for Marius to walk in. Now that I knew that Courfeyrac came here, there was a big chance that Marius would be here too. Revolutionary after revolutionary opened the door and walked in. While I was fiddling with the bundle of clothes on my lap, the door pealed open. This time though, instead of a random passerby, Marius entered.

"Marius!" I called out. I grinned broadly.

Marius turned at the sound of my voice and saw me. Smiling, he came up to me, "Eponine! I'm so glad to see you here!" Marius exclaimed.

"Yes, it's nice to be here."

"Tell me, 'Ponine, did you find her?" Marius's smile grew bigger while my heart fell.

"Who, again?"

"Her! That beautiful girl I'm in love with. Her blue eyes sparkled and her hair glowed in the sunlight! Did you find her?"

My chest began to close as I remembered who he was talking about. Marius was going on about Cosette. I forgot that I said I'd find her. I looked to Marius and apologized. "I'm very sorry, monsieur Marius, but I was unable to find her yesterday."

Marius's face fell slightly but perked up almost instantly. "That's okay, 'Ponine, but you'll try again, won't you?"

His face was hopeful, so didn't dare refuse. I agreed to Marius's wishes. Marius was about to continue when Combeferre called him.

"Marius! The meeting's starting!" Combeferre yelled.

"I know! I'm coming!" Marius shouted back. Without a glace back at me, he left.

"So little you know, so little you see," I whispered to Marius's retreating back. Sitting off to the side, I listened to the students' meeting. They were all very enthusiastic, specifically Enjolras.

It was Enjolras who led the meeting, just like with everything else. He proclaimed loudly his plans for a new, better France, Patria he called it. Enjolras preached vigorously how the people will one day rise up and fight along side them, the students of the Revolution. Every once in a while, he'd look over to me, and when he did, I'd make some sort of movement to show that I agreed with him. Where in reality, I never completely agreed. It was true there were some ideas that I approved of, but mainly I didn't agree with Enjolras. His beliefs were too broad, they were so big and demanding that there was no way the plans could be satisfied within the next three months. It was absurd.

The meeting was done as fast as it began. One by one, everyone left the café except for Courfeyrac, Gavroche, Grantaire, Combeferre, Marius, Enjolras, and me. I still sat in the chair while Marius talked to the boys about his lovely nameless love. He kept repeating how beautiful she was and how she was his true love. With every word he said, he might as well have been stabbing me with a dagger. Marius's words hurt me that much.

Gazing at the boys, I saw that Grantaire and Enjolras weren't exactly thrilled either. Grantaire looked like he was about to fall asleep and Enjolras seemed greatly annoyed. In a quick decision, I stood up the best I could and made my way to the pair. Grabbing a chair, I pulled it up to their table.

"Eponine!" Enjolras exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

"I walked here, obviously," I replied hotly.

Enjolras rolled his eyes and nudged Grantaire, who was asleep on the table. Grantaire just mumbled and swatted Enjolras's hand. Noticing he couldn't wake him, Enjolras pulled out a book and began reading.

Seeing that nudging him wouldn't wake up, I came up with a new idea. Taking one more glance at Grantaire to make sure he was asleep, I poked Enjolras. "Hand me that glass of water," I requested.

Not looking up from his book, Enjolras gave me the glass of water. Carefully, I crept up very slowly, due to injury and stealth. I was soon looming directly over Grantaire. "Grantaire! Wake up!" I called giving him a chance.

Grantaire snored on.

"Be it your way then." I dumped the water all over him. His reaction was better than I anticipated.

Instantly, Grantaire stood up, his eyes wild. His black curly hair was wet and some water dripped on to his face. He stumbled around a bit, clearly drunk and mumbled the words of a child's song. "Little people know, when we fight, we may look small and tiny, but we've got both the bark and the bite! We'll fight like a thousand warriors and we won't surrender!" Many times he walked into chairs and tables, knocking over anything that was on them.

I sat back down in my chair and began laughing painfully hard. I didn't care that my chest and stomach burned like there was fire, I couldn't stop laughing.

Finally looking up from his book, Enjolras saw Grantaire stumbling and shook his head. Focusing on me, he asked, "That's what you needed the water for?"

Regaining my breath, I replied, "Your nudging didn't work, so I decided to wake him up myself."

Getting up from the table, Enjolras walked up to Grantaire and made him sit down. He was beginning to come back to his senses. When he did, he looked both mad and impressed. "There was no need for you to pour water on my head," Grantaire said defensively.

"Well you wouldn't wake up," I retaliated.

"Touché, Eponine, touché."

"I may be a _gamine_, but I do know some things. "

"We never said that you didn't, Eponine," Enjolras cut in.

Surveying the café, I noticed all who were with Marius, but Marius himself was gone. Marius saw me look at him and made his way over to me. "Eponine, you'll find her tomorrow, won't you?" he immediately asked.

My happiness went down and my smile faltered, though Marius didn't see it. "I'll try my best, Marius," I replied confidently.

"As soon as you find her, come to right away. Thank you so much, 'Ponine!" with that, he left.

I stared at the door as he exited. My smile fell instantly into a frown and my heart ached. After all I went through over the last twenty four hours, I just felt absolutely hopeless. I tried my best to keep my spirits high. After all, I am Eponine Thenardier, I don't cry and I am **NOT** weak. That didn't apply to me at that moment though. Soon, negative thoughts whirled about my head, pulling me down even deeper. My eyes stung with the prospect of crying and I began to shake slightly. Quickly, I felt like I was going to explode. One tear ran down my cheek, then another. Right when I though I was going to going to scream, I felt two placating hands on my back and another presence beside me.

"Eponine, relax," Grantaire's voice said. It was him who was behind me.

"You're safe, Eponine. No one is going to hurt you here," Enjolras's voice said soothingly. His voice cam from beside me.

"I don't know why I promised it. I can't say no to him," I whispered hoarsely. "Every time he mentions her, his face lights up the way it never will for me." I looked up with a blurred vision to see Grantaire and Enjolras observing me intently.

"Marius is a fool for not seeing you," Grantaire said defensively. It appeared that he was no longer drunk.

"He is blind for not noticing that you love him," the whisper was so soft I had to look at Enjolras to make sure I didn't mishear him. He saw me staring and nodded curtly at me. "It's getting late; we will help you walk to your room."

Normally, I would've protested, but I was so drained, both physically and emotionally, that I accepted their help. Holding onto Grantaire and Enjolras for support and with my other clothes in hand, I made it to the room. At the doorway, I bid them goodnight and closed the door. Staggering to the bed, I laid down instantly and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

**Wala! Chapter 4 is up and running! I really hope you all are enjoying this, and I would love it if you guys could review more so i have an idea of who's actually keeping up with the story. Just so i have an idea of how many people are reading it. that would be great. On the other hand, i have a solo in choir so i get to sing it four times for four different performances! yay! I had my first two performances today and i think it went fairly well. Anyway, review pleaseeee! and thanks for reading! =)**

***~*~ Alice Bean**


End file.
